Three Practical Essays, Essay 2 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of the Contempt of the World.
1. FOurthly, Endeavour to get above all the Desires of this present World. This is the hardest Lesson in Religion, but withal the most necessary and the most useful. All Wickedness proceeds from the immoderate desire of some temporal Injoyment or other; and the Love of the World is most immediately the Root of all Evil. No Man sins, but when he is seduced by an over-fond desire of some Honour, Profit, or Pleasure; and no Man can be sure of preserving his Innocence, so long as he is inslaved to and under the Dominion of any of these Desires. The way therefore to lay the Ax to the Root of the Tree, and to remove the Foundation and first Cause of our Misery; is to get above all the Desires of these Transitory Enjoyments, and to keep them perfectly in subjection and under the command of Reason: We must be able to contemn these things, even where they are Innocent; and then we may be secure that they shall never be able, to seduce and intice us into any thing that is sinful.
2. Now the means by which the Christian Religion teaches us to do this, is not (as I have already said) by retiring and withdrawing our selves from the World, to neglect all Business and lay aside all Secular Cares; but by fixing our Thoughts stedfastly upon that future State which the Gospel has clearly discovered to us, to fill our Minds with such strong and vigorous Ideas of the Happiness of the next World, as will in any state of Life, beget and preserve in us a settled Contempt of all the Enjoyments of this.
3. The first and lowest degree of this Contempt of the World, is a Resolution not to purchase any of its Injoyments with the Commission of any great and known sin. This is the very lowest degree of Sincerity; and the least that any one, who pretends at all to be a Christian, can resolve with himself to do for the sake of God and religion. He that to purchase any Honour or Profit, will not scruple to make use of downright Fraud, or of any Means which he himself knows and is convinced to be Unlawful; He that to gratifie any sensual Appetite, and to injoy a present Pleasure, will venture directly to break a positive and express Command; such a one bids open Defiance to God and Virtue, and can hardly impose upon himself with any vain Imaginations of his being Religious.
4. The next degree of this Contempt of the World, is a Willingness to part with all things for the sake of Christ, when we cannot keep them together with our Religion. This also our Saviour absolutely requires of them that will be his Disciples. If any Man come to me, and hate not his Father and Mother, and Wife and Children, and Brethren and Sisters, yea, and his own Life also, he cannot be my Disciple; And whosoever doth not bear his Cross, and come after me, cannot be my Disciple, Luke 14. 26, 27. 'Tis true, this is more peculiarly adapted to those early times of the Gospel, when 'twas impossible for a Man to embrace the Doctrine of Christ, and profess himself his Disciple, but he must immediately forsake all that he had in the World, and become poor in the most literal sense for Christ's sake: But certainly it thus far obliges Christians at all times, and even when God does not call them to suffering and parting with all for his sake, that they ought to have such an indifferency for the things of this World, as to be always in a readiness to part with whatever shall come in Competition with their Duty.
5. But there is yet another degree of this Contempt of the World, which though less considered, is yet of more universal and more constant obligation: And that is, that We be sparing and temperate in the use even of Lawful and Innocent Enjoyments, as those who expect their Portion not in the Pleasures of this World, but in the Happiness of the next. This is the proper and peculiar Virtue of the Christian Religion; and indeed the only true Rule of Temperance. To give Men a full Liberty of satisfying to the utmost all their sensual Appetites in all instances not directly forbidden, and to set their Hearts upon the Injoyment of all worldly Pleasures, as far as they can possibly within the Limits of Innocence, is to allow Men a Liberty which Experience shews they cannot bear, and which will certainly seduce them into the Borders of sin: On the other hand, to restrain Men from injoying the good things of this present World any further than is strictly necessary to preserve their Life and Health, is to lay a snare on the Consciences of men, and to tie 'em up to what God and Nature has not tied them. The only true measure therefore of Christian Temperance, is that we so govern our selves with respect to the Injoyments of this present Life, as becomes those who profess to be followers of Christ, and Candidates for Heaven; who look upon this World only as a State of Labour and Trial, but expect their Portion and their Happiness in the World to come: That is, that we so use these present good things, as to preserve our selves always in the Disposition fittest for the Performance of our Duty; to keep the flesh always in Subjection to the Spirit; and to maintain constantly that Temper of Mind, which may prepare and fit us for the Injoyment of God, and for the Happiness of Heaven.
6. The Design of the Christian Religion is to draw off Mens Affections from things earthly and sensible, and to fix them on Nobler and Spiritual Objects: It gives us the most refined Precepts exemplified in the Life of our Saviour, for our Rule to walk by; and sets before us as the Reward of our Obedience, the Happiness of that Place, where we shall be like to God, because we shall see him as he is. The first thing therefore that our Saviour requires, of them that will be his Disciples; is so to wean themselves from this present World, as to be always prepared for the more spiritual Happiness of that which is to come. The first thing that the Christian Religion teaches us; is so to look beyond this World in the main Scope of our Lives, and to have so slight an esteem for, and be so little immersed in, all earthly Injoyments; as to have our Hearts fixed always there, where we expect our Treasure. It teaches us to look upon the good things of this present World, as Talents committed to our Charge; for the doing what good we can in the present State, and thereby purchasing to our selves a Treasure incorruptible in the future. It teaches us to set our Affections wholly on things above; and to have our Conversation always in Heaven. It teaches us to love God, as the Supream and Only Good; and to make it the Business and the Pleasure of our Life, to Advance his Glory and to promote his Religion.
7. This is the Disposition of Mind, which the Christian Religion requires of all its Professors. And that this Disposition of Mind cannot otherwise be attained and preserved, than by working our selves up to a great contempt of the World; by being very temperate in the enjoyment of earthly Pleasures; and by withdrawing our Affections from the desires of them; is evident. No Man who hath this Worlds Goods, can cheerfully and bountifully bestow them to the Glory of God and to the Good of Men; so long as he retains an over-fond Affection for the splendour of the World, and cannot deny himself in any of its Pleasures. No Man can set his Affections on things above, while he places his Happiness in things here below; nor have his Conversation and his Citizenship in Heaven, while his Heart and Desires are fix'd on Earth. In a word, no Man can love God as the Supreme and only Good, and make Religion heartily the usiness of his Life; while his Affections are fondly fastened on the Pleasures of Earth, and the Gratifications of Sense.
8. He that notwithstanding his Belief of the Gospel, does yet retain such a Love for the World, as that he cannot persuade himself without great regret to part with any present Gratification; and is solicitous, not to be as Religious and to do as much good as he can, but to live as sensually, and to enjoy as much Pleasure, as he thinks possibly consistent with the hopes of Happiness; such a ones divided Affections and unmortified Desires, will certainly be too strong for the Governance of his Reason; and his unwillingness to part with the Pleasures of this Life, will be in great danger to deprive him of the Happiness of the next. No Servant can serve two Masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other; ye cannot serve God and Mammon, Luke 16. 13. The carnal, or sensual Mind, saith St. Paul, is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be, Rom. 8. 7. And in the 1st Epistle of St. John, ch. 2. ver. 15. If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. The avoiding eternal Misery, and acquiring endless Bliss, is not so easie and trivial a matter, as to be the Purchase of a few faint Wishes, the Work of a Mind distracted, and as it were wholly taken up with other Cares: He that hath proposed to us this glorious Reward, has yet proposed it upon such Conditions, as that we think it worth our caring for: He indispensably requires, that we fix our Affections upon heavenly things; and though we may, and ought to make use of the Blessings of this World thankfully, as Accommodations in our Journey; yet that in the whole Course of our Lives the general Design of our Actions be directed to this great End. If therefore we suffer other things so to interpose, as to steal away our Hearts and Affections; we cannot possibly keep up this Disposition. Man's Nature and Operations are finite; and what time and attention he bestows on one thing, must necessarily be subracted from another. If then the Vanities of this World entertain and busie us, they must unavoidably interrupt our attendance on the one thing necessary; and when we begin to look upon these deceitful things as our proper Happiness, our esteem will in proportion decrease to those which really are so. Hence the Cares of the World, the Deceitfulness of Riches, and the Pleasures of this Life, are said to choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful, Matth. 13. 22. compared with Luke 8. 14. And St Paul tells us, 1 Tim. 6. 9. That they who will be rich, that is, they whose Desires are eagerly bent upon the good things of this present Life, fall into Temptation and a Snare, and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts, which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition.
9. And that this over-fond Love of the present World, this solicitous Desire after Riches and Pleasure, is inconsistent with that Disposition of Mind which the Christian Religion requires; seems to be the true and principal Scope of several of our Saviour's Parables to demonstrate. The Parable of the rich Man, Luke 16. is evidently intended to this purpose. He is described to have been clothed in Purple and fine Linnen, and to have fared sumptuously every day; and when in Hell he lift up his Eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and cried to him to have Mercy upon him, and to send Lazarus that he might dip the tip of his Finger in Water, and cool his Tongue; the Answer he received was this; Son, remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 'Tis not said that he had spent his Substance in Rioting and Drunkenness; 'tis not said that he had deserved this Punishment for his Cruelty and Uncharitableness: But only that he had lived delicately, and fared sumptuously; that he had already received his good things; (that is, that he had received a plentiful share of the good things of this present Life, and that he had received and valued them as his Portion and his Happiness;) and that therefore now there remained nothing for him, but to be tormented.
10. That the design of this Parable is not meerly to condemn Rioting and Extravagancy, Drunkenness and Excess, is evident. For had that only been the design of it, the rich Man would have been▪ plainly described to have been guilty of those Vices. But since our Saviour does not directly lay those things to his Charge, neither must we do it. The Parable says, he was clothed in Purple and fine Linnen, and fared sumptuously every day: And as his Station in the World might be, he may fairly be supposed to do so without the imputation of Excess. As God has placed Men in different Stations in the World, and accordingly made very different distributions of the good things of this Life amongst them; so it cannot be denied but that these good things may be made use of, according to every Man's Quality and Condition. It cannot therefore be certainly collected from the rich Man's faring sumptuously, that he wasted his Substance in riotous living, as the Prodigal is described to have done in the foregoing Chapter; for he would certainly in this Place have been directly accused of doing so, if the Parable had been levelled against nothing less than Rioting and Excess.
11. Again, that the Design of this Parable is not meerly to condemn Uncharitableness and Cruelty, is also evident. For though it represents the rich Man on the one hand clothed in Purple and fine Linnen, and faring sumptuously every day; and on the other hand the poor Man lying at his Gate full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the Crums that fell from the rich Man's Table; yet it contains only this Description of the poor Man's Condition in Opposition to that of the rich Man, without taking any notice at all of their Behaviour one to another. Though therefore it may justly be supposed, that our Saviour designed to hint to us, that the poor Man did not meet with that Comfort and Relief, which might reasonably be expected in a Place where there was such plenty and abundance of all things; and that this did mightily increase the rich Man's Condemnation; yet this is not the thing that is now laid to his Charge, and therefore is not the main Design of the Parable. Parables are certain familiar ways of representing things to the Capacity of the Vulgar, by easie and continued Similitudes; and the close of the Similitude always shows the principal Scope of the Parable; as is evident in most of our Saviour's Discourses to the Jews. Had our Saviour therefore in this Parable chiefly designed to shew the evil of Uncharitableness, and the Condemnation that attends uncharitable Men, he would (when he had represented the rich Man crying out to Abraham to have Mercy upon him, and begging that he would send Lazarus that he might dip the tip of his Finger in Water, and cool his Tongue,) he would here, I say, have introduced the Patriarch charging him with his Uncharitableness, as the cause of his being cast into that place of torment. It would have been told him, that since when he lived in Ease and Plenty, and in the abundant enjoyment of all the good things of this Life, he had had no regard to the then miserable Estate of this poor Man; he had no reason to expect, now that the Scale was turned, and himself fallen into a state of Misery, that the poor Man should leave that place of Happiness which is figured to us by Abraham's Bosom, to come and quench the violence of the Flame that tormented him. He would have been told that 'twas but just, that since he had shewed no Mercy, none should be shewn to him; and that he should receive no Relief from the poor Man after Death, to whom he had given none when he was alive. But instead of all this, we find only that short Reply; Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things, therefore now thou art tormented.
12. It remains therefore, that the reason for which this rich Man is represented as condemned to that place of torment, is because he had in his life time received his Portion of good things; that is, not because he had received the Blessings of this World, but because he had received and used them as his Portion and his Happiness▪ He had a large and plentiful Estate; and he spent it in Jollity and Splendour. He was clothed in Purple and fine Linnen; and he fared sumptuously every day. He denied himself nothing, that tended to the Ease and Pleasure of his own Life; or that could make him look splendid in the Eyes of others. Hereupon he accounted himself a happy Man; and blessed himself in the multitude of his Riches. He look'd on them not as Talents committed to him by God, to be employed for the doing good in his Generation; but as his own Portion, that he might live in Ease and Plenty, and that his Heart might chear him in the days of his Life. His Treasure therefore was upon Earth; and his Heart and Affections, were there also. He set up his Rest here; and was so wholly taken up with the splendour and gaiety of this World, that he had no time to think upon another; till he found by woful Experience that he … settled his Affections upon a wrong Object, and chosen those things for his Portion and his Happiness which were not to be of equal duration with himself. Thus the Design of this Parable seems plainly to be this; to condemn a soft and easie, a delicate and voluptuous Life: And to show, that for those who have a plentiful share of earthly Blessings, to make it their main Design to live in Ease and Pleasure, in Gaiety and Splendour with them; to set their Hearts and Affections upon them; to esteem them as their good things, and to place their Happiness in them; is inconsistent with that temper and disposition of Mind, which the Christian Religion requires in those, who expect their Portion in the Spiritual Happiness of the World to come. And to this Sense we must understand those Sayings of our Saviour, Luke 6. 25. Wo unto you that are full, for ye shall hunger; wo unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep: And ver. 24. Wo unto you that are rich, for ye have received your Consolation; that is, ye have received those things which ye accounted your Portion, and wherein ye placed your Happiness.
13. In like manner, the Parable of that other rich Man, Luke 12. whose Ground brought forth plentifully, and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my Fruits? and he said, This will I do, I will pull down my Barns and build greater, and there will I bestow all my Fruits and my Goods: And I will say to my Soul, Soul thou hast much Goods laid up for many Years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry. This Parable, I say, seems also plainly designed against the same softness and voluptuousness of Life. Our Saviour does not describe this Man to be Covetous, and that he would store up all his Goods to no use; but that he would take the good of them himself, he would eat, drink and be merry: 'Tis the same word that we render elsewhere, to fare sumptuously: But God said unto him, Thou Fool, this night shall thy Soul be required of thee, and … whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? His Case seems to be the very same with that of the rich Man, Luke 16. The one resolved that in his Life time he would eat, drink and be merry; and in the midst of his Jollity his Soul was required of him: The other was clothed in Purple and fine Linnen, and fared sumptuously every day; and when after Death he complained that he was in a place of torment, he was by Abraham reminded that he had in his life time received his good things.
14. Lastly, the History of the young Man, Mark 10. who came running and kneeled to our Saviour, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal Life? is an eminent Instance of the deceitfulness of the Love of the World. He had kept all the Commandments from his youth; and therefore one would think was well prepared, to receive our Saviour's Doctrine: Yet when he bad him, Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the Poor, and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven, and come take up thy Cross and follow me; 'tis said, he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions. 'Tis not said either that he was covetous on the one hand, or prodigal on the other; much less that he spent his Substance in Revelling and Drunkenness: But here was his Fault; his Heart was set upon his great Possessions, and he could not persuade himself to part with them, though upon the prospect of an extraordinary Reward. So unfit is a Mind deeply immersed in the Love of this present World, for the reception of the Truth and Severity of the Gospel; and so difficult for those who have a large share of the good things of this World, not to be thus immersed in the Love of it.
15. For this reason it is, that great Riches and continual Prosperity in the World, are all along through the New Testament described as a very dangerous and unsafe State. Persecution has not a greater power to force Men violently from their Duty, than Riches and great Prosperity have to supplant them insensibly, and to intice them from it. Riches and Prosperity do by degrees soften and debase Mens Minds; they do as it were tie Men down, and fasten their Affections to the things of this present World; they sensualize Mens Thoughts, and *Cùm omnia quae excesse…nt modum, noc…ant; periculosissima felicitatis intemperantia est: Movet cerebrum, in varias mentem imagines evocat, multum inter falsum ac verum mediae caliginis fun…it. Seneca de Divinâ Providentiâ.divert them from taking any pleasure in the Contemplation of Spiritual and Divine things; in a word, they ply Men so constantly with fresh Baits and Temptations, and are so continually pressing them to satisfie their sensual Appetites; that without a very great Measure of the Grace of God, and an extraordinary degree of Temperance and Contempt of the World, Man's Mind is not able to keep it self free from the Service of so enticing a Master.
16. And this I take to be the meaning of those severe Sayings of our Saviour, Matth. 19. 23. Verily I say unto you, that a rich Man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle, than for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God. At which when his Disciples, taking his Words in too strict a Sense, were astonished above measure; he answered again and said unto them, Mark 10 24. Children, how hard is for them that trust in Riches, to enter into the Kingdom of God! He does not say that 'tis absolutely impossible for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: But because 'tis certain that they who put their trust in Riches, never shall; and because 'tis exceeding hard for them that have Riches, not to put their trust in them; therefore he says, How hardly shall they that have Riches, enter into the Kingdom of God! Riches and constant Prosperity are so great a temptation, that with Men, i. e. humanly speaking, it is not possible for one who enjoys these things, to be a good Christian: though with God, i. e. with the Grace of God, to which all things are possible, this Temptation may not only be overcome, but those Riches which are to most Men an occasion of falling, may become the matter of a more extraordinary Virtue, and the occasion of a Man's doing much more good in this World, and obtaining a much greater degree of happiness in the next. Our Saviour therefore does not say, That a rich Man cannot possibly be saved; or that any Man shall be miserable in the other World, for no other reason than because he has been happy in this; but only that Riches are exceeding apt to lull Men into that trust in and love of the World, which is inconsistent with that disposition of Mind and Soul, which the Christian Religion requires of those who expect their Portion in another Life.
17. And hence are those so frequent and repeated Exhortations in the New Testament, to mortifie our earthly Desires, and to deny our selves; not to love the World, neither the things that are in the World, 1 Joh. 2. 15. Not to lay up for our selves treasure upon Earth, where Moth and Rust doth corrupt, and where Thieves break through and steal; but to lay up for our selves treasure in Heaven, Matth. 6. 19. To set our affections on things above, not on things on the Earth, Coloss. 3. 2. And to take heed and beware of Covetousness, for that a Man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, Luke 12. 15. To beware of Covetousness; that is, not of hoarding up Riches to no use (as we generally understand the word) but of setting our Hearts upon Riches and employing them to no other End, than living merrily and splendidly in the World; as is most evident from the Parable of the rich Man whose Ground brought forth plentifully, following immediately in the next words
18. 'Tis therefore a necessary Duty in those who believe the Gospel of Christ and profess themselves his Disciples, if God calls them not to suffer and to part with all for his sake, yet at least to wean themselves from the love of this present World, and to get above the Desires of it. They must be careful to use the good things of this Life so, as not to corrupt and soften, to sensualize and debase their Minds, and to clog and unfit them for the Contemplation of Spiritual and Divine Things: They must remember that they receive this Worlds Goods not that they may live in Ease and Softness, in Delicacy and Voluptuousness with them, but that they may thankfully employ them to the Glory of God and to the Good of Men: In a word they must always be careful so to behave themselves with respect to all earthly Enjoyments, as may become those, who look upon the present Life as a state of Labour and Trial, but expect their Happiness and their Reward in the future. This is (as I have said) the true Measure of Christian Temperance; and this Temper of Mind, every one who will be the Disciple of Christ, must resolve to attain.
19. If this seem hard to any one, let him consider, that as a Mind sensualized and wedded to earthly things, is here utterly unfit for a spiritual and heavenly Life; so it must also hereafter be as utterly incapable of the heavenly Glory. If a Man places his Happiness in the Contemplation of God and the Exercise of Virtue here, he shall continue to enjoy it also hereafter; because God and Virtue continue for ever: But if he places his Happiness in the Pleasures of this World, and in the Enjoyments of Sense; when these things are at an end, his Happiness must be at an end also. Mens Minds are by degrees tinctured, and transformed into the Nature of the things they are fixed upon; and in such things as they delight to dwell upon, in such things must be their Portion. Hence Tully, and after him some Christian Writers have thought, that the Souls of worldly-minded Men shall carry with them into the other State such strong Affections and Desires after the things they delighted in here, that were a sensual Person to be admitted even into the Seat of the Blessed, yet should he find nothing there that could make him happy.
20. But hower this be (which I shall not now nicely dispute) certain it is that nothing is more reasonable, than that those who place their Happiness in the Enjoyments of this Life, should come short of the Glories of the next. We all know how short and transitory the present Life is, and the Scripture every where tells us that we are Strangers and Sojourners in the World; we are now only in a state of Trial, and travelling as it were through a strange Country to our proper Home: Whilst we are at home in the Body, we are absent from the Lord, 2 Cor. 5. 6. And here we have no continuing City, but we seek one to come, Heb. 13. 14. Now therefore if Men will stop in the midst of their Journey, and make their Inn their Home; If they will place their Happiness in those things, which God has given them only as Conveniences for their present state; what can be more reasonable, than that God should assign them their Portion in those things? Man's Soul is Spiritual and Immortal, and by the nobleness of its Nature exalted above the Vanities of this present Life; and though by being immersed in Body it be necessitated to converse with sensible and corporeal things, yet does it thirst after more pure and refined Objects; it can look beyond this World to its native Country, and knows that its proper Happiness is by imitating the Life of God to be made partaker of his Glory: Now if Men notwithstanding all this, will take up with sensual and earthly Enjoyments; if they will clog the flight of the Soul, and stake it down to these ignoble Objects; if they will set their Hearts and Affections on these things, which God has given them as matter for the exercise of their Virtue; what can be more Just than that God should suffer them to satiate themselves with their beloved Pleasures, and deny them those nobler ones which they so little esteemed? 'Tis certain the Blessings of this World are Talents committed to our Charge, which God expects we should lay out to his Glory and the Benefit of the World; and to whom he has committed many of them, of him he will require the more: He expects we should do what good we can with them; which is called in Scripture, giving out our Money to the Exchangers, that when our Lord cometh, he may receive his own with Usury: Now if instead of this, we enjoy these things wholly our selves, and employ them only to the serving our own worldly Designs; what can be more reasonable, than that God should suffer them to be our Portion and Reward? The Pharisees in our Saviour's time were notoriously covetous and worldly minded, doing even their acts of Charity meerly for the praise of Men; and our Saviour repeats it no less than thrice in the Sixth of St. Matthew, that They had their Reward: The rich Jews also made generally no other Use of their Riches, than to live in Ease and Pleasure, in Gaiety and Splendour; and our Saviour tells them, that they had received their Consolation.
21. The Happiness of Heaven is a great and glorious Reward; and they who will Luke 20. 35.be accounted worthy to obtain that World, and the Resurrection from the Dead, must be content not to live a soft and easie, a sensual and voluptuous Life; but to labour diligently, and to work out their own Salvation with fear and trembling: Our Saviour compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a Pearl of great price, which when a Merchant-man found, Mat. 13. 46.he sold all that he had and bought it; and whoever hath worthy Notions of the things that God hath prepared for them that love him, can never think any thing *Haec quidem difficilia videntur; sed de eo loquimur, cui calcatis omnibus terrenis, iter in coelum paratur. Lactant. lib. 6. c. 23.hard, to purchase so great a Treasure. St. Paul compares the Reward of Virtue to a Crown, for which they who run in a Race, run all, but one receiveth 1 Cor. 9. 24.the Prize: And if they who strive for the Mastery, to obtain a corruptible Crown, are temperate in all things; that is, are careful to prepare their Bodies beforehand for the Race; that they may run, not uncertainly, but so that they may obtain; how much more ought we to bring the Body into subjection, and by Temperance prepare it for the Christian Warfare, who are to strive for an incorruptible and never-fading Crown?
22. The History of our Saviour is an Example, as of a Life not morose and retired from the World, so of a Life very far from being sensual and voluptuous: He utterly despised all the Grandeur and Pleasures of the World, and willingly endured the scorn and contempt of obstinate and malicious Men, that he might establish the Worship and true Religion of God; He went about doing good, making that theActs 10. 38. whole Business of his Life, and cheerfully submitting to undergo any hardship, that he might instruct the Ignorant or relieve the Distressed: And if we hope at last to be made partakers of his Glory, we must resolve now in some measure to imitate his Life, who has left us an Example that we should follow his steps. The Lives of all the1 Pet. 2. 21. Saints of God, who have gone before us, are eminent Examples, not of Ease and Softness, but either of great Sufferings for the Cause of Religion, or of great Zeal and Pains in it: The Patriarchs who lived before our Saviour, and saw the Promises only afar off, confessed that they were Strangers and Pilgrims in the Earth, and thatHeb. 11. 13. their Hopes were fixed upon a better Country, that is, an Heavenly; and all the Primitive Christians, who first followed our Saviour, and saw the Promises fulfilled, did either through Persecutions become naked, destitute, and afflicted, or by their boundless Charity and Contempt of the World, did almost make themselves so: And if we hope to have our Portion among these Servants of the most High, in that general Assembly and Church of the First-born, in that heavenly Jerusalem, the City of the living Heb. 12. 23.God; we must in some proportion conform our selves to the imitation of their Zeal, their Labour and their Patience; and not be wholly carried away with the coldness and indifferency of a careless and corrupted Age. They generally parted with all things for the sake of Christ; and certainly we are at least bound, not to fasten our Affections so strongly upon the things of this World, as hardly to be able to deny our selves any thing. Their Temperance, their Abstinence, and their Contempt of the World, was almost incredible and excessive; and assuredly we cannot with the same Hopes spend our whole Lives, in nothing but Softness, Gallantry and Pleasure, In fine, Their Charity was wonderful and boundless, extending it self even to *foreign. Clem. ad Cor. 1.such Instances as we can hardly think credible; and can we imagine, that we are not obliged to do at least something, and to take some Pains, for the Glory of God and for the Good of Men?
23. Lastly, If these things seem hard, and tend to intrench too much upon the Pleasures of Life; consider the conclusion and final upshot of things: Consider what Opinion we shall have of things at the conclusion of our Lives, when Death and Judgment approach; and let us view things now in the same Light, as we know certainly we shall be forced to do then. We know we shall then lament the loss of every opportunity of doing good, which we have omitted; and shall grutch every minute of Folly and Vanity, which might have been employ'd to the increase of the Portion of our future Happiness: We know we shall then look upon all the past pleasures of Life, as emptiness and nothing; and be convinced that there is no Pleasure but in true Virtue, and no Fruit in any thing but in having done much Good: And if we do indeed know this, what can be more miserably and more inexcusably foolish, than not to make the same Judgment of things now, as we know assuredly we shall do afterwards? The reason why Men die full of Fears and Uncertainties, full of dark Suspitions and confused Doubts, is because they are conscious to themselves that they have lived carelesly and indifferently; without having taken any Pains either for the Service of God, or for the Good of Men; and without having used any zealous Endeavours, to overcome the present World, or to obtain the future: But if Men would consider things in time; if they would pass true Judgments of things, and act accordingly with Resolution and Constancy; they might then know certainly their own State, and might live with Comfort and die with Assurance.